Page 84 of Colorado Bride

“You wait here in the kitchen,” said Ben.“Rory, you and I will go through the house make sure we find no surprises.”

He grabbed two kerosene lamps from the porch and lit them, handing one to Emily.

“If she comes in here, you scream.”

“Will do.”

Emily sat at the table, watched them leave and then waited.

A short while later, she heard a creak behind her.

Doris came out of the pantry holding a large knife.

“Ben!Ben!”

Emily tried to get out of her way, but Doris brought down the blade, slashing Emily’s upper right arm.

She stood and grabbed Doris’s hand with the knife and kept the woman from stabbing her again.Emily’s arm was on fire but if she weakened, she knew Doris would do more than slash her arm.She’d bury that knife in Emily’s heart.

“You don’t want to do this Doris.I’m having Ben’s baby.You don’t want to kill Ben’s baby do you?”

“Whore!You don’t deserve my Joseph.You have to die Ava, so I can get back Joseph.You see that don’t you?”

Emily heard running footsteps coming down the hall.

Ben tried to get his mothers attention.

“No.Mother.Put the knife down.”

“I will.Right in her heart.”

Doris and Emily kept grappling with each other.

Insanity gave her crazed mother-in-law strength and she felt herself weakening.

As she kept holding her off and kept Doris’s attention on her, Ben came up behind Doris, grabbed her arm with the knife in it and forced her to let it go.The knife clattered to the floor.

Then the woman started screaming, shouting things at Emily.

“Whore.Jezebel.Trollop.Hussy.”

“Mother!Shut up!”

Rory came around to Emily.He helped her to sit at the table.

“It’s all right now.Ben has her.”

“Rory,” said Ben.“A hook and eye lock is in the drawer closest to the pantry.Would you get that, and a hammer for me.”

“Sure.”

Rory squeezed Emily’s uninjured shoulder and went to get the supplies for Ben.

Emily watched and thought, finally, she’d be safe.

Ben took his mother up to her room.He lit the lantern and made her sit on the bed and showed her that Emily was not there.

She was calmer when she couldn’t see Emily.